Dreaming
by avengurl
Summary: Tony's magic gets the best of him and he starts imagining a different world while traveling through Ginnungagap from the previously injured Loki. This is "Of Asgardian Blood" Chapter 11.5 and it makes more sense if you've read the story.


**Dreaming**

If you haven't read Of Asgardian Blood, you should read that before reading this if you want things to make sense.

* * *

_Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before._

-Edgar Allen Poe

* * *

Tony looked up from lacing bright colorful lights all over the large Christmas tree in the main room and smiled over at the bright eyed god across from him. Loki turned toward him with a raised eyebrow before walking toward him, a small smile on his lips.

"Why do you put so much effort into decorating the tree when you could use magic?" Loki pointed out, standing beside the shorter man.

"I very well could use my magic," Tony waved a hand, blue sparks jumping from his fingers. They landed on a red and silver spherical ornament, which then floated into the air between the two sorcerers, "but that defeats the whole point of decorating the tree." The ornament fell from its airborne position and into Tony's opened hands.

"I see. The point is to waste time and energy decorating a tree which will die in the next few months."

"I got the live tree this year for your ass, so don't complain about that." Loki snorted and crossed his arms. "And yeah, you're right; the point is to waste time and energy decorating a tree, but it's to waste such time with loved ones." His voice softened at the end as he leaned on his toes to kiss Loki's cheek. "Now stop complaining and put up some ornaments. I think I forgot a few Iron Man ones."

Loki rolled his eyes, but joined in, placing up ornaments, tinsel, and ribbon across the tree, Tony doing the same. By the time they had finished, it was pitch black outside and the lights of the tree shone brightly throughout the room. Tony stood in Loki's arms, the god's arms wrapped around Tony's waist as they gently rocked. Loki rested his chin on Tony's head as they watched the tree glisten before them, sparkling a rainbow in the night darkness.

Tony twisted in Loki's arms, gently grasping the god's face in his hands. Loki looked down at him with a loving gaze, reaching a hand up to place atop one of Tony's own. The man smiled and closed his eyes and leaned up to close the gap between them. Tony let his mouth meld against Loki's and hummed slightly with pleasure as Loki kissed back. The kiss was soft and warm, sending chills down Tony's spine every second it lasted. Loki leaned forward a bit more, deepening the kiss in the process, and Tony pulled away with a grin.

"Let us save that for Christmas day, Princess," he purred happily, giving Loki a chaste kiss before walking to the bar. "Until then, we shall celebrate in other ways."

The green-eyed god laughed lightly and followed Tony over to the bar. The mortal sorcerer waved a hand, watching a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses float through the air from their various places and gently land on the countertop. Loki tapped the cork in the neck opening of the bottle and it popped out of the opening with ease and a small green spark. Tony hand poured two cups and passed one to Loki, who took it with a grin.

"Until Christmas day, then," Loki smiled as he raised his glass for a toast.

Tony tapped the rim of his glass with Loki's. "Until Christmas day."

* * *

"Jarvis," Tony called as he looked up from working on his suit (damn thing still wasn't done). Christmas day was in one week and he had yet to figure out what Loki would like. The god was a god and a sorcerer. He could magic up anything he wanted! "Do you know what Loki would want for Christmas?"

"Sir, I believe he would want Ragnarok to not occur for Christmas." Tony rolled his eyes as he sat back down in his seat.

"I think the whole world would want that, Jarv. I'll try my best of course, but I don't consider that a Christmas gift." The brunette sighed heavily. "I honestly don't know what to get him. This is his first Christmas, too. I should make it special. Memorable. The best thing to ever happen to him."

"Anthony, my love, the best thing to ever happen to me is you."

Tony let out a little man shriek at that, swiveling in his chair to face a grinning Loki. The man shook his head with a laugh as he stood up. "Don't scare me by teleporting here with no noises."

"My sincere apologizes," Loki batted his eyelashes innocently, a thick dusty book in hand. "I have returned from the Elven libraries. I must admit, I was surprised to find presents under the tree at my return."

"I thought we were gonna go to the Elves together after the new year," Tony raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms. "And yes, there are presents under the tree. They're from the Avengers. Gifts to me."

"Gifts for Stark who can by anything he wants?"

"Well, I sure as hell can't buy you, so not just anything," Loki smiled softly at that, placing the book on a cluttered desk. "But yes, presents for multi-billionaire me. And possibly just maybe a couple for you."

Loki literally froze, green eyes trained on Tony with intensity. "Presents for me? From whom?"

"I don't know; I didn't check. FYI, none of them are from me." The man took Loki's hands in his own. "Don't worry, okay? Thor forced them to do it even though they all think you're the villain of Ragnarok."

"I am."

"Yeah, ignoring that, remember?" Tony kissed his lover on the cheek before distracting himself with the book Loki brought. "What's this? I don't read Elvish; not yet at least."

"Do not touch; I wish not to have your oily mortal skin upon such precious text." The god quickly grabbed the book milliseconds before Tony touched it. "You will see soon enough though. I promise you that."

"I thought you don't believe in silly things such as promises."

"I don't."

With that, Loki winked and left in a flash of green. Tony plopped back into his chair with a frustrated groan, still racking his brain for a gift for Loki. What the hell had the Avengers gotten Loki? Maybe he could tag along on one of their gifts. Like Thor's or Natasha's.

Okay, maybe not Natasha's.

"Fuck," he moaned aloud, grumbling in the process. "I want to give him the best thing that's ever happened to him."

"You technically already have, sir. Loki explicitly said you were the best thing to ever happen to him."

Tony perked immediately, eyes wide with realization at the AI system's words. "I'm the best thing to ever happen to Loki. That's it! I can give Loki me for Christmas!"

* * *

"What the hell?" Rhodey practically screeched on Christmas Eve, eyes wide with horror. "You want to propose to Loki? But he—he threw you out a window and tried to kill you a year ago!"

"Details don't matter. I'll catch you up on that later." Tony bit his lip impatiently. "Look, this Loki, the one I'm gonna propose to, is different than invasion Loki. I'm different from invasion Tony Stark. I mean, dude, I'm the Midgardian Sorcerer!"

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

"Details, details, details; picky details, Rhodey." Tony waved that off as he started pacing. "Anyway, I've got the rind and I know what I'm going to do. Well, everything but what I'm gonna say. That's where you, my bestest friend ever, come in."

"You can use magic?" Rhodey's voice cracked on the last word.

"Yeah, Midgardian Sorcerer here." Tony rolled his eyes as he continued his pacing. "Oh wait, let me show you the ring and tell me if you think it's good enough for Loki. I know you don't know him like Thor or I do, but I need your opinion."

Tony waved a hand and swirls of blue flew from his fingertips, forming a small sphere. The blue melted into the air and Tony caught the ring midair, turning to Rhodey, who was gaping like a fish out of water, a finger pointed where the blue magic cloud used to be.

"You just—that was—"

"Magic. Yup. I told you I could use it."

Rhodey promptly fainted.

When the man came to, Tony practically verbally raped him, asking him about the ring and the preparations and all that jazz. The ring-which was a golden band with the words "With all my love, Anthony" engraved on the inside-Rhodey found appropriate, but Tony fretted over it being too simplistic for Loki.

(He had a point.)

"Don't fret so much, Tony. If he loves you, Loki won't care about how fancy the ring is. He wouldn't care if it was red string, Sauron's Ring, or a ring with the fattest diamond in the nine worlds on it."

"I think Loki would care very much if the ring I gave him was Sauron's."

Rhodey sent his friends a glare. "To get to the point, Loki should only care about the giver of the ring and so should you."

A smile crept onto the billionaire's face as he calmed down. "Yeah, you're right. Totally right. Okay. So then, what do I say? Should I have something prewritten or go on the fly? I know I ramble a lot, like a ton, and I'd hate to go off on a tangent while proposing, but having something prewritten is sort of cheesy and while Loki doesn't really mind—"

"Shut up and make it a spur of the moment thing, Tony." Rhodey rubbed at his face with irritation. "God damn it, Tony, you will be the death of me."

"Don't you dare say that." Tony snapped, brown eyes narrowed at a startled Rhodey.

"Uh, why?"

"Because it's true. You know the whole Ragnarok thing, right? Well, I'm supposed to stop it, being the Midgardian Sorcerer and all, and if I don't, I will be the death of you. Literally."

"Why the hell are you proposing then, damn it! You have to fucking save the world, Stark!"

Tony's face fell slightly as he stared at the ring in his hand. "It's sort of a promise in a way. That we'll make it through. We'll be able to tie the knot because I'll make sure we live to the next day and all the days after and that we'll be able to do so together."

Rhodey raised his eyebrows, surprised at the seriousness in his friend's voice. Tony sounded so old and mature there for a second. He was right about being a different Tony Stark. The man before Rhodey was very different. A lot had changed though the past few months.

Tony looked up with a smile and patted Rhodey's shoulder before leaving the room. "Oh, and you'll be best man."

Rhodey watched his friend with tired eyes before his gaze fell on the bar. "I need a fucking drink."

* * *

"Brother, do you like the presents?"

Loki sat there awkwardly on the couch by the Christmas tree between Steve and Tony, who was watching him eagerly. "Yes, I do. The helmet polish is wonderful, Banner. And the throwing knives will come in handy, Natasha."

The two mentioned nodded in silence, the air getting more uncomfortable. Bruce coughed into his hand and nodded toward Thor, who was eyeing Loki excitedly, waiting for the sorcerer god's commentary on the other presents. Loki sighed as he picked up a woolen green scarf and wooden round-edged stick.

"The scarf is nice, Steven, and the wand is hilarious, Barton." Green eyes glared at the archer, who smirked. "Thor, your presents will never cease to amaze me."

"I am pleased that you are pleased." The giant grin on the blonde thunder god's face almost outshone the Christmas tree lights. Loki's stomach clenched as he looked down at the parchment in his lap.

"Yes, I am very pleased with my hand in marriage you gave to my brother."

Well, that escalated quickly.

Tony's jaw dropped and he quickly grabbed the paper out of Loki's lap, startling the god for a split second. Loki watched the brunette carefully, watching those brown eyes scan the parchment as a frown settled on his pursed lips. Those eyes turned on Thor with anger. "You sold your brother off to his biological brother? Dude, that's, like, incest there. Uncool."

"Stark, shut it," Loki started, surprised at the use of the man's last name. "All frost giants are technically related. We all come from the same two parents at one point since there were only two frost giants at the start of the nine worlds: one male and one female." Loki's eyes softened down at Tony before he looked over at Thor. "I assume this was the only way to insure my safety and release from prison. Having to marry back into the royal family. Royal interbreeding. I knew not Jotunheim practiced such a thing."

"Marry back into the royal family?" Loki turned toward Steve with a raised eyebrow. "You're a—you're a Prince of Jotunheim and Asgard?"

"I no longer associate myself with the likes of Asgard in that manner, but yet, in a way. I am technically the Princess of Jotunheim and a Prince of Asgard, although, as I previously stated, the latter I do not present myself as unless necessary."

Carrying the name of Jotunheim royalty had a lot of negative weight. So was being Loki period, but at least by carrying the Asgardian royalty name, he had more wiggle room (so to speak) to be given.

"Princess?"

"Yes," Loki turned to Tony with a sad frown. "Do you have a pen on hand? I should sign this contract before the Jotuns arrive and things get messy."

"What? No!" Tony held the contract close to his chest and Loki let a small smile slip onto his lips at Tony's objection. "You don't have to do this, Loki. You don't have to be a bargaining chip again, love, not again."

Loki raised an eyebrow at the pet name; he didn't expect Tony to use it in the company of the Avengers. The mortal sorcerer tossed the contract to the side and summoned his blue magic. Loki watched intrigued, surprised that the man was using his magic in front of the Avengers at such a time. He opened his mouth to protest, but when a small black box appeared in Tony's hands in place of the magic, Loki closed his mouth with wide eyes.

"Loki," he started, sliding off the couch with the box in hand. Loki had trouble breathing once Tony went down on one knee. "You can't get married to someone else; I won't let that happen. You deserve to be happy, to continue to have the best thing that's ever happened to you. So before you sign that contract, before you let yourself be the bargaining chip you wish not to be, I present to you myself in my entirety and ask you to have me for the rest of my life, however long it'll be. I'll ask one thing, Loki: will you marry me?"

Loki choked up at the last four words, eyes trained on the opened box where the golden ring rested, reflecting the light from the tree and the sun from outside. This was most definitely not expected at all. By the nine, how he wanted to say yes, to accept the proposal and be wedded to Tony. And why couldn't he? He loved Tony, Tony loved him. There was no reason not to say yes. But there was.

"No," Loki whispered, watching the life in those brown eyes die out. "I can't. Not now. This marriage contract is the only way to make sure I am not kept in prison and that the Jotuns stay away from Midgard. Our bond will change as soon as I accept and he will find out and kill you. I can not let that happen, Tony, I'm sorry."

"It's totally cool, I get it."

"No, it's not cool, and you know it. Believe me, I want to accept very much so, but I can not until there is an alternate solution and so far, there is not one at all. In three years time, according to Jotunheim law, I will be able to separate from my marriage and be single once more. After that, I will gladly accept and we can be together in such a way." Loki placed a hand atop Tony's and closed the box gently. "Until then, we can not progress our relationship. I know it hurts, as it hurts me too, but only three years, Tony. Ragnarok will be stopped soon and soon after, we will be wedded, I can promise you that."

"I thought you didn't believe in promises."

A small smirk slide onto Loki's face at that even though his heart ached at the watery sound of Tony's voice. He leaned forward and lightly kissed Tony before replying. "I don't, but I know you do."

* * *

Tony stood on the roof of the Stark Tower, hearing the cheering and screaming of New York celebrating New Year's Eve and the approach of the new year. It had been about a week since the rejection and even though Tony understood the reasons behind it, the rejection still hurt like hell and thinking about it sometimes made the back of his eyes sting and burn with unshed tears.

Hearing familiar footsteps, Tony turned and smiled over at Bruce, raising his champagne glass with a greeting.

"Decided to join the Avengers party after all, Bruce?" Tony asked, watching the scientist stand beside him.

"Yeah. I might as well keep someone company." That gaze irked Tony and he avidly avoided. "Look, I know it hurts and it'll be hard to get over, but Ragnarok will come any time now. We both know that. The world can't have you hung up on Loki's rejection. Loki can't have you hung up on his rejection. I think it's time to let it go. At least you know that you can get married after three years. It's better than finding out the answer will always be a no."

Tony chuckled lightly at that before sipping from his glass. "You're right. I know I have to let it go eventually. I don't know; I guess I just wanted to be somber for the rest of the year. You know, make it symbolic by letting it go as the year ends and a new one begins."

Bruce didn't say anything to that and patted Tony's back before leaving the sorcerer on the roof. Tony summoned his magic and swirled it about and around him, distracting himself from recalling Loki's words. A familiar pang in the back of his head caused him to turn and he spotted Loki in the doorway, arms gently crossed with green magic curling around his body. The god looked absolutely ethereal and majestic with his magic surrounding him and accenting the gold flakes in his green eyes and the cherry red of his cold-flushed cheeks.

"Are you going to stand out in the cold for the new year?" Loki purred as he unfolded his arms and walked to Tony, who turned back to the view with a shrug. "The new year approaches in a few minutes, Tony."

"I know." Tony didn't budge as Loki wrapped his arms around him and held him close. The mystical magical and minty scent of Loki invaded Tony's senses and he relaxed into the embrace, closing his eyes gently. He placed his hands over Loki's and took a deep breath. "Stay with me."

"If you wish."

Tony smiled at that and opened his eyes to watch the sky and the dark night, feeling Loki's magic against him, twining with his own as they stayed in the loving embrace, waiting for the countdown to be completed and for the new year to begin. The magical hum of Loki's magic echoed in his head along with his own and Tony gently hummed along, relaxing in the final few minutes of the year. Of the hectic year that included an invasion, finding out he's a sorcerer who's supposed to stop the end of the nine worlds, and falling in love with his previously thought enemy. Yeah, quite the year.

"Tony, do you still have the ring?"

The man stiffened slightly at that, opening his eyes to turn in Loki's arms and face the god. Loki's eyes were focused straight ahead, unmoving and void of emotion. "Yeah, I do. Why'd you ask?"

"After the year closes, I am to return to Jotunheim. I highly doubt I will be allowed to visit you or Midgard until Ragnarok if it occurs. I want something to remember you by. Something to remind me of the promise I made." Those green eyes turned down toward him, a soft smile on those lips. "I won't wear it; doing so is the same as accepting the proposal which will get you killed, but I want you to know that I have the ring and that I won't ever forget, okay? I know you are down about it, but—"

Tony cut Loki off with a heated kiss, summoning the ring with one hand as his other hand gripped the back of Loki's neck. Loki kissed back with equal verve, devouring Tony's mouth as the cheers of Happy New Year rang outside and inside the Stark Tower where the other Avengers resided. Tony pulled away silently and passed Loki the ring with a sad smile.

"Take it. I don't want you to forget." The brunette leaned up for another kiss, which Loki returned avidly. "Please don't forget."

"I won't." Loki whispered against Tony's lips as the god clutched the ring in his hand. "I will never forget."

And just like that, everything disappeared. The feeling of Loki's lips faded away and the comforting warmth from the god left as well. Tony opened his eyes and found himself in Ginnungagap, swirls of gray and blue all around him as he floated. The image of the Asgard gates came into view and in a split second, Tony was on his feet at the large golden gates.

What the hell just happened? Was that some imaginary world his magic accidently created as a product of the uncompleted spell? Christmas and New Year's weren't for another month or so. So, was that seer magic?

Was that the future Loki had seen that caused him to be so freaked out?

Tony shook his head as he stood up, facing the guards at the gates.

"You gotta let me in."

* * *

Chapter 11.5 for you guys. Happy New Year to you all and Chapter 12 should be up soon enough! Thanks you for reading this story and I'll "see" you next year!~


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